It's My Party
by Nocturnal Magic
Summary: Twoshot based off the song It's My Party by Leslie Gore. Sam's birthday is here, and her mother plans a huge party for her big day, while Danny tries his best getting her a gift she's been waiting a long time for. Unfortunately, things don't go exactly
1. Chapter 1

Ebony brows were bent in anger, while lavender eyes glared furiously underneath. The rest of her face was twisted into such a menacing scowl that Danny and Tucker nearly cringed as they watched the scene of daughter against mother unfold before them.

"How could you do this to me!" she asked, or rather yelled, anger, mingled with disbelief, dripping from her every word.

Curiosity overruled the fear of Sam's wrath, not to mention the expression on her face, and the two onlookers shifted their gaze over to Mrs. Manson, who, in turn, ignored them. She glared right back at her daughter, though it was rather weak compared to Sam's. All the same, she glared back, but just as she was about to speak, Sam carried on. Rage, frustration, and fear coursed through her, mixing into one perfect blend for a Goth to be feared.

"I clearly stated that I DID NOT want a big, blow-out party! I just wanted to hang out with my friends, eat some cake, open a few presents, and end the day! That's ALL!" The girl was seething. This was _not _what she had had in mind.

"Well," her mother said, trying to answer the original outburst of a question. "That's not exactly how you put it, Sammikins. You told me that you did not want a huge blow-out party for your _six_teenth birthday. Well, dear, your turning_ fif_teen, not sixteen!" She informed her excitedly, eyes gleaming with happiness for her brilliant loophole. Poor Sam was in a state of shock. She stood still, mouth slightly open as her eyes clouded over and she recalled that oh so fateful day she made that terrible, terrible mistake.

_Sam was lazing around her room, flipping through a book of Gothic poetry when her phone rang. She sighed, for she was reading one of her favorites when she went to reach for it. "Just a second!" she told it, its shrill, impatient ringing getting on her nerves. She picked it up and pressed the talk button. _

"_Hello?" she asked, trying hard not to let her annoyance slip into her voice. "What do want Tucker, I was in the middle of a good book!" Or not. "Tuck, what's all that noise in the background? I can hardly hear you!" All Sam could hear were very loud blasts, some random shouts, even some tiny explosions could be heard sounding off in the distance over the phone; and then of course, Tucker's voice, barely audible through it all. _

"_Sam! We need the Fenton Thermos! Danny thinks he might have left it in your room! Bring it down to the Nasty Burger, ASAP!" After that followed the dial tone and Sam could only hope Tucker was the one to hang up. _

_She dug around her room, poking through all of her drawers, corners, and other likely possibilities for the ghost catching device to be hiding until finally her fingers grasped the cold, metal cylindrical container. _

_By now, she was extremely worried about how Danny was doing in his fight with whatever ghost had showed up in Amity Park. She ran to the door of her room and was just about to turn the handle when it began moving of its own accord. She leaped back in surprise when the door sprung open, and her mother stepped through, wearing a huge grin, which usually meant no good for her daughter. Sighing inwardly, she prepared herself for whatever fresh torture her mother was going to force on her now. Why, why, why, why_ NOW? _she asked herself, cursing her timing. _

"_Samantha! I've found _THE PERFECT_ car for your Sweet Sixteen!" Mrs. Manson told the dumbfounded girl. Things just weren't clicking in her head; she was fairly certain she was still fourteen. Why was her mom talking about her sixteenth birthday? She shook her head and looked disdainfully at the picture her mother pulled out for her. _

_It was a _bright yellow_ Volkswagen, complete with tiny bright pink, blue, green, and purple flowers painted all over. 'HOTTIE' was in matching bright pink letters on the license plate. Did her mom really expect her to actually drive in it, let alone want it for her birthday? _

_She grimaced, then glanced around the room nervously for a quick escape. She found none. The boys were most likely wondering where the heck she was by now. Her mother saw the nervous look on her face and tried to console her- well, from what she could tell was worrying her. _

"_Oh, sweetie, if your worried about the other children being jealous, we could ask them to remove some of the flowers, and we don't have to personalize the license plate. Or we could just give it to you after all of your guests leave your party." Sam shook her head. In her own way, she knew her mom was trying, but this was just too much. _

"_Mom, I do _NOT_ want that hideous thing for my sixteenth birthday! I'm not even fifteen yet! And, by no means, do I want some huge, blow-out party to celebrate my sixteenth birthday!" And with that, she managed to push past her mom, Fenton Thermos in hand and finally make her way to the Nasty Burger. Unfortunately, she didn't realize she had been too specific in stating __which birthday she did not want a huge party for._

Slowly, Sam was pulled back into reality due to the sound of ridiculous laughter coming from her left. Danny and Tucker were in stitches. After all, who would expect Sam to make such a careless mistake? She sent them a look that was, if even possible, worse than the one she had given her mother earlier.

That shut them up.

They stood rigid, faces straight, all signs of laughter gone, except for the amused twinkling that shone in both of their eyes; none of Sam's threatening looks could drive the humor away from her plight. Still, Mrs. Manson ignored them.

"Look Samantha," she said with an authoritative voice, "the invitations have already been sent out. I've already made arrangements for the caterers, the musicians, everything. You can dress how you like, as long as its appropriate, and your little boyfriend and friend in the beret are invited also. Spend the day however you like, but be back home in time to get ready." And with one swish of her pink dress, Mrs. Manson left the three teens standing alone as they were before she stepped into the scene, with a slight smirk on her face.

Sam was in shock, once more, for being allowed to wear something of her own choice. And, from the unexpected mention of her would-be-secret crush, while he was standing right there. Recovering, she shouted after her mother's retreating figure, "HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"

Danny, however, remained silent. He had no intention of being put on another restraining order, among other things. A light blush coated his cheeks and his gaze shifted to the wall, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

Tucker was in tears by then, clutching his sides with all of his might to keep from laughing any harder, but it was a tough job. Watching Mrs. Manson take Sam by surprise like that was priceless. Especially while Danny stayed silent and blushing beside her.

"Man, Sam!" Tucker exclaimed, once he had calmed down enough. "Even your _mom _knows-"

"Nothing." she said, cutting him off, and casting a nervous glance back at the still silent Danny.

"C'mon, let's just get up to my room before someone else shows up with even more bad news." she grumbled. Trudging up the stairs to her room, her footsteps sounding off with a heavy _THUMP, THUMP._

Tucker followed, but stopped when he noticed Danny wasn't at his side. He turned around to find him still standing at the bottom of the stairwell, staring ahead blankly, lost in thought. _If Sam's mom had mentioned it..._

"Dude, you comin'?" he called down to him, over the sound Sam still thumping her way upwards.

Tucker's voice drifted over to Danny's ears. Startled, he looked up to the source of the voice. "What? Oh! Yeah, just a sec!" He replied, hurrying after his friends. He managed to catch up with Tucker, and flash him a bright smile before running ahead to catch up with Sam.

Tucker shook his head, smiling happily to himself. It seemed as if Danny was becoming a little less oblivious to the world around him, but he didn't want to jump to any conclusions. Danny was just acting...differently, as of late. He had a tendency to be a little more flustered when around their female friend, and their 'blushy moments' were increasing at an incredible rate. Tucker tried numbering them as he made his way to Sam's room and sat himself in the chair in font of her desk.

Sam, naturally, was seated on her bed, back against the wall, raven locks falling across slumped shoulders. Her legs were pulled up to her chest, head resting on her knees, while her eyes resumed their glaring, this time at her combat boots.

"Sam, I don't think glaring at your boots is gonna help the situation." Tucker pointed out, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Danny, sitting in front of Sam on her red comforter, nodded his head eagerly in agreement.

"Yea, Sam! It's not that bad. She could've..." He trailed of, not knowing what to replace the current problem with.

She looked up at him, exchanging her glare for a more downcast look. "Exactly." She said softly. "Do you know how _long _I've kept the fact that I'm filthy rich a secret from you two?" She asked them, putting quite a bit of emphasis on long.

Tucker and Danny, who exchanged confused glances. "Uhhh...ever since you met us?" They answered, half questioning, in sync.

"Exactly." She repeated matter-of-factly, getting up from her position on the bed and walking over to her window to look outside. "If I couldn't trust you guys not to take advantage of me being rich up until now, why should I trust all of those other shallow jerks populating our school?" She asked once more, not really expecting an answer.

Danny followed her actions, placing his hands gently on her slender shoulders and giving her a heartwarming smile, while Tucker watched on gleefully. "Don't worry about it so much, Sam. So they find out. What of it? They'll kiss up to you, you'll ignore them, or tell them off, and everything will go back to normal, with the occasional random kid coming up to be your new best friend." Danny summed up for her, with another smile and reassuring squeeze.

Sam was amazed, not only at the action of him placing his hands on her shoulders without blushing, but at what he said. When did Danny get so...smart? Tucker seemed to be thinking along the same lines as her.

"Geez Danny, what have you been doing when your not kicking ghost butt? Reading out of Jazz's books?" he joked.

Remembering where his hands were, he removed them, stuffing one in his pocket, while the other went diving through his silky mass of black hair, as he usually did when he was nervous. A light pink blush tinged his cheeks, as did Sam's. _So much for not blushing, _Sam thought wryly.

"Well, it's true! You don't need to be a genius to figure it out." he protested, a little put out that his friends didn't think that he could see what the big event would bring. But, in truth, that was the least of his worries. There was still the matter of obtaining Sam's birthday present.

Danny knew what to get her, all right, but there was one little question he needed answering to. _Did she feel the same way? _Well, if he had been paying a little bit more attention to things he wouldn't, but alas, that wasn't the case. He also needed to locate the second part of his gift.

The atmosphere lightened considerably as Sam resolved to the fact there was no getting out of the party, and that it probably wouldn't be as bad as she originally feared. Tucker challenged her to a game of _Doomed, _claiming he was getting good enough to beat her,while Danny casually declined their offers to join in. He needed them to stay busy while he searched for a certain someone's gift.

Sounds of the game filled the room, consisting mostly of weapons firing, explosions,Tucker's whining as he was thrashed numerous times, and Sam's cheering as she defeated more and more players as Chaos.

Danny took advantage of all of this to cover his hunting threw items in the bedroom that looked as if it would contain a ring. A class ring, in fact, that Sam just so happened to be keeping for him, till he needed it. And boy, did he need it!

But, to his dismay, he couldn't locate it. _Maybe..._he thought to himself, _maybe it's in...the bathroom! Why didn't I think of that before? _He could have kicked himself, but rather than doing that, informed his hostess he was going to use the bathroom.

"Sure, whatever, but if you hear crying, don't be surprised!" Sam grinned evilly in Tucker's direction, while he stuck out his tongue at her.

Danny laughed. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind!" he replied before making his exit.

Tucker sighed in relief at Danny's absence. He was fairly certain he knew what Danny was up to. Half the time he was losing against Sam was because he had been watching the ghost boy rummage through anything that looked like a jewelry box of some sort.

"Hey Sam?" he spoke up casually, not really wanting to catch her off guard. _But if it would help _

_Friar Tuck..._

"Yea, Tucker?" she responded, eyes sticking to the screen as if they were being pulled in magnetically.

"I think, " he said, praying he was right, "that Danny's becoming a little less clueless, if you catch my drift." He watched as Sam peeled away from the screen to stare at him questioningly.

"Tucker, what are you talking about? Danny-"

Tucker cut her off, excitement taking hold of him. "Is starting to realize that there are more fish in the sea! And your on the menu!"

Sam stared at Tuckeras if he had something grotesque attached to his face, then burst out laughing. "What the heck kind of metaphor is that?" finally made its way out as she regained use of her voice. He merely shrugged and went back to the game.

But, what he said did manage to strike something within her. _Is he finally starting to see me as more than just one of his best friends? _She sighed wistfully. "Wouldn't that be a nice birthday present..." she muttered to herself, unaware of Danny returning from the bathroom, a satisfied smile on his face.

"What would make a nice birthday present?" he asked, a little nervously. His hand tightened around the piece of jewelry encased in his fist, palms sweating.

"Huh? Oh! Uhhh...just...spending the day with you guys, thats all!" she said hurriedly, hoping that would be a convincing enough excuse.

Danny's eyes widened a bit, but he didn't question further. He had the ring, and tomorrow he was going to give it to Sam for keeps, and that's what was important..._But I'm still not sure she'll feel the same. Maybe Tucker will know something..._He made a mental note to ask him after they left.

After giving their regards to Sam, both boys slowly made their way home together. It wasn't until they were a house away from Sam's that Tucker decided to attack Danny with a question that had been burning to be asked after the incident with Sam's mother.

"Dude! What was up with you today? Why were searching Sam's room?" he asked, taking Danny by surprise. He had been thinking hard about how to best bring about his own question

"What? You saw that! Did Sam see any-!" Danny stopped himself, before calming down enough to try a poor attempt at a cover up. "I mean, what are you talking about? I was watching you guys play the game!" he said, laughing nervously, hand disappearing through his hair.

Tucker looked skyward, trying to keep from rolling his eyes. "Danny..." he said in a warning tone.

"All right! I was looking for...something." He said, averting his sky blue eyes from Tucker's accusing green ones.

"Looking for something." Tucker repeated. "Something like a class ring, perhaps?" he asked slyly, glancing at his friend to see what expression his comment had caused.

It was _so _worth it.

Danny looked up at Tucker, his bright eyes wide with fright and disbelief, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. The hand that had been in his hair was still there, making his tresses stick up even more than usual. His face also took on a rather nice shade of pink as he began blushing furiously, and Tucker swore he could hear Danny's heartbeat, going two or three times as fast as normal.

"_How did you know?_" he asked Tucker in a hushed whisper, forgetting he could, however unsuccessful, deny it. Tucker smirked.

"So, are you finally seeing the light, Danny? Are you actually thinking of Sam as more than _just a friend_?" Tucker teased, dodging the question. He _had _to hear it with his own ears, just to make sure.

Immediately, Danny's hand was shoved through his hair again, while his face turned red. "Well, that is-I-I mean, I th-think that..." he sputtered, while Tucker tried to hold in laughter. _Oh, yes!_ Danny had _definitely _seen the light that was Sam! His stuttering was as good as any confession in Tucker's opinion.

"Doyouthinkshelikesmeback!" Danny asked in such a rush Tucker barely managed to pick out separate words. He shook his head in amusement, and Danny nearly fell over.

It occurred to Tucker what message that particular movement of the head could send and tried to convince him otherwise. "NO! Dude, that's not what I meant!" He sighed exasperatedly as Danny looked at him, hope and uncertainty both etched in his face.

They were approaching Tucker's house. He couldn't be the one to tell Danny that Sam was crazy about him; that was her job, and hers _alone. _But, the poor halfa was clearly in need of a confidence boost.

Tucker took hold of Danny by the shoulders when they got to his stoop and look him directly in the eyes. "Danny," he started, taking a deep breath, "Why do you think we're always calling you 'clueless'?" He asked him, his intense gaze never leaving Danny's face, which seemed to be gaining more hope than uncertainty.

_Why would they call me clueless? Because there's something there that I hadn't noticed before, _he reasoned. _And it never really occurred to me that Sam would, or even could, actually like _me. _So that must mean..._

He looked back a Tucker, his fierce blue eyes filled with determination, and nodded his head. He would do it. Just the thought of not being able at least share her friendship was enough to make his stomach churn, but he had to try. If there was even the slightest shred of a possibility that Sam liked him, as more than a friend, he would take that risk.

"Okay, Tuck. I'll do it. Tomorrow." Danny informed him, with a weak smile.

Tucker sighed happily, a grinning. _FINALLY! _It had gotten through to him! Tucker congratulated his friend for catching up with the current times and bid him farewell.

A few footsteps later, and Danny turned around. "Tucker?" he called.

The boy in question, who was just about to step inside, set his head against the front door tiredly. "Yeah, Danny?" he responded, slightly muffled.

"Are you _sure_?" he asked, the nervous hesitation obvious in his voice. Tucker could have kicked him. Oh, how badly he wanted to spell it out for him. Instead, he just sighed.

"Go home, Danny." he said wearily, refusing to say more. Before Danny could ask anything else, Tucker opened the door and slipped inside.

Taking this as a yes, Danny continued walking home on his own. The concept of using his powers just vaguely entered his mind, but he decided he'd rather just walk. He had plenty he needed to think about, so why not use the time?

_So...I like Sam. A _lot. _And Tucker sure made it seem like she really likes me, but..._

Wait. What was it she had said when they went back to get Tucker after that cramtastic session? Tucker had said..._he said he'd always known we'd end up together! _Then Sam told him that they weren't together, it was just a spell. And when Tucker questioned her about it...what did she say?

"C'mon, c'mon!" Danny urged his brain out loud. _What did she say! _And then it hit him. Hit him like, not a ton, but _ten _tons of bricks.

"_I don't know! Maybe, but not like this!" _her voice rang out clearly through his head. Just the sound of it put him in a lovesick daze. He was in such a daze, in fact, that he didn't notice the stop sign in his path, having conveniently wandered of his course.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed painfully, rubbing the new throbbing spot on his head. "Maybe its time I just flew home." he suggested out loud. After all, he had thought it over, knew what he was going to do, and was fairly certain it would all work out. What did he need to walk for?

_She really does like me! _That thought alone made him feel like flying.

Making sure no one was watching, two bright rings formed around his middle, and, moving in opposite directions, transforming the supposedly average Danny Fenton into the hero of Amity Park, Danny Phantom. The ghost boy took off in the direction of his home, with nothing but the following day in mind.

Sam awoke the next day with plenty of butterflies in her stomach. And not just because it was her birthday. Though it certainly helped, what with her big party and all. It just felt like something _huge_, other than that, was going to take place.

She glanced at her clock, thankful it was Saturday. Eleven-fifteen. _Wait a second...ELEVEN? _Even on weekends her parents made sure she was waken up by at least ten.

_Probably 'cause its my birthday, _she thought to herself as she dragged her body out of bed to shower and get dressed.

Stepping in front of the mirror, Sam watched blearily as she pulled her brush through her soft ebony hair, making sure it was tangle free before she entered her shower. Not that she really needed to. Somehow, her hair was always able to remain in place, even after sleeping for twelve hours straight. When it was certain her hair was snarl free, she began her shower. Roughly thirty minutes later, Sam was fully clothed in her usual outfit, and on her way downstairs.

The doorbell sounded off just as she reached the landing, taking her slightly off guard. The thought of all the people her mother must have hired for her party came into mind as she went to answer the door. Putting on her best scowl, she opened the front door, but was surprised, once more, to see Danny and Tucker at her door.

"HAPPY FIFTEENTH BIRTHDAY SAM!" They shouted in unison as the door opened to reveal the stunned birthday girl.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked. "Its, like, eleven-fifty! Aren't you guys usually still unconscious till noon?"

"Gee, Sam, nice to see you too." Tucker said, putting his hand on his chest, feigning hurt feelings. "We wake up before noon, something no one thought was humanly possible, to wish you a happy birthday, and thats all you have to say?"

Sam crossed her arms as she leaned on the now closed door. "Pretty much." She informed him in monotone. Tucker let is pass, knowing she would forget any comment he had made in just a moment. And he was right.

Amethyst eyes widened and a faint gasp could be heard as Danny, somewhat tentatively at first, reached out to take Sam's hand in his own. He lead her lightly down the steps and onto the sidewalk. Both savored each other's touch and were incredibly reluctant to let go. "We're taking you out for a birthday lunch." Danny explained, a small blush coating his cheeks.

"O-Okay. Thanks!" Sam uttered, her voice slightly higher than usual, and she hoped very much neither boy would notice. Danny's hands felt so _nice _around hers...

Tucker couldn't resist putting in his two-cents as he watched them interact.

"Can we get a move on, or are you two just going to stand there staring and blushing at each other till the party starts?"

Which, of course, resulted only in more blushing.

The lunch with Danny and Tucker was very enjoyable. Both of them actually took her to her to the cafe located next to her favorite depressing bookstore. It was quite a sight to see them there. Especially when the menu was all vegan food. Sam couldn't stop laughing at Tucker, who was close to tears from such an absence of a steak or hamburger of any kind.

The remaining time was spent at the park, purely goofing off. They chased each other around, playing hide and seek, tag, breakout, and any other game they could think of. Sam still chuckled at the memory of it, as she pulled her arm through the sleeve of her dress.

Throughout the whole time, though, Sam had noticed that whenever there was some down time, Danny had gotten a far away, dreamy look on his face. When she asked him about it, he became extremely nervous and agitated, with, of course, a blush on his face. Now that she thought about it, ever since he had held her hand that morning, Danny was acting extra klutzy than usual, and even a little rattled.

Maybe...

_Nah! He's probably nervous about Paulina or Valerie being at the party..._

_Then again..._

Tucker's words had been echoed throughout her mind, as if he had been speaking through a bull horn.

"_Danny is starting to realize there are more fish in the sea! And your on the menu!"_

Sam rolled her eyes, but allowed a small laugh to escape her lips as the rest of her dress was pulled on.. "That really was a stupid way of putting it, Tucker." She told the air.

Sam stood back to admire the dress in her mirror. The front of her silky skirt started at about an inch above her knees before angling down to her feet and draping over the back of her legs. The top portion was a satin lavender corset, with black sleeves to match the skirt, numerous holes exposing the pale arms underneath. She decided to leave her hair down, and having already applied the necessary cosmetics, all she needed were some minor accessories.

With a smile, she placed the Fenton Phones Danny had lent her in her ears. _Now, something to go with...something to go with..._Sam thought to herself. Instantly, the image of the ring Danny had given her to watch flashed through her mind.

_Well, it couldn't hurt...and its not like he has anyone to give it to anyways, s_he thought ruefully. Her hand nervously reached handle on the small drawer in her jewelry box. But when she pulled it out, there wasn't anything inside.Sam's hand leaped back as if it had been shocked.

_Oh no!_ _I lost Danny's ring! I lost it! What if he needs it? OH MY GOSH! WHAT IF THAT'S WHY HE WAS ACTING SO NERVOUS! He's gonna give it to some new crush!_

Sam was practically hyperventilating when the sound of tapping on glass reached her ears.

_That's gotta be Danny now! I'm just going to have to wing it if he asks for it..._

Immediately she rushed out of the bathroom directly to the window in the bedroom. And there he was, snow white hair moving in time with the wind as he floated behind the glass. His piercing green eyes watched her with a small smile planted on his face. Sam smiled back and waved him in.

The ghost boy phased through and changed back into Danny Fenton. "Hey, Sam! Wow, you look beautiful!" he exclaimed, taking note of how she was dressed. It wasn't until he finished his sentence that he began blushing for what must have been the hundredth time that day. Sam joined him, thanking her lucky star that Tucker wasn't there. "Thanks...you clean up pretty good too." She informed him, indicating to his new suit.

"Heh...Thanks." He accepted shyly, hand lost in his hair. _Okay, this is it Fenton! Time to give her the ring! _Danny urged himself as he gazed at Sam, who was fidgeting with her fingers.

"Uh, Sam? Do you- I mean, w-would you mind...if I gave you your present? Like, now?" Danny asked. He would have been quite proud of himself for not stuttering as much as he feared, but he was too overtaken by nerves to notice.

Sam blinked. "Are you sure? I can wait till the party..." Her sentence hung in the air, waiting for Danny to respond. He gulped, and tried to gather his wits. "I-I think it would be best if I gave it to you now." Sam held her breath as he continued. "Sam-"

"SAMANTHA! You first guests are here! Come down to greet them!" Mrs. Manson's voice echoed throughout the house, filling every room with her cry. It also filled to very two very anxious love-stricken teenagers with deep disappointment.

Sam looked like she was ready to bash a hole in her wall. Danny could feel the frustration emanating from her, and quickly pulled her into a comforting embrace. The need and want to console the girl standing before him had completely overtaken him. Not that he really minded, if this was the only way to go about it. "Suck it up Manson. You're gonna have to endure this for four hours." He told her, smirking at his own double meaning. Sam had apparently caught on.

"Do you mean the party, or the hug?" She said, laughingDanny laughed lightly in her ear and she could only hope he didn't feel the heat that was rising up in her face.

Slowly, regretfully Danny detached himself from the girl, a full blush covering both of their cheeks. "You, uh, should probably go see those guests now." Danny stated. Sam nodded in consent, and made to leave the room before turning around again to look at her _friend. _"Well, are you coming?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips. "You can be my escort."

Danny grinned, bowing with flourish. "After you, madame." To which Sam returned in the form of a delicate curtsy, and left the room arm in arm with a pleased looking Danny.

_I think Tucker was right. I really believe that Danny and I might be able to be something other than just best friends. I'll have to ask him during the party. He's gonna get, like, five PDA's for Christmas._

The first of the guests were quite shocked to see the party was for Sam. Especially since that party happened to be held in a mansion, complete with an in-home theater and bowling alley. No one had ever expected Sam Manson, the ultra-recyclo vegetarian Goth, to be loaded with millions.

"Okay, I understand that its kinda hard to believe at first, but do they have to keep _staring?" _Sam muttered darkly to her companion. Danny, chuckling, handed her a glass of punch.

"I suppose after an hour and a half, they'd get used to it." He said with sympathy. He knew how much Sam couldn't stand the popular crowd, but to have them in her house for her birthday, staring at her the whole time...it was a wonder she hadn't jumped out of the attic window yet. Not that Danny was going to let her.

"Where did Tucker run off to?" Sam asked, pulling Danny from his thoughts of winning her through some brave and daring rescue.

"Huh? Oh! I think he went to find a potential dance partner, then life mate. Or he took off somewhere to play on his PDA." Danny informed her with a shrug. She rolled her eyes. "Thats our Tucker."

They watched countless couples move along the dance floor, while leaning against the wall behind the endless table, filled with various snacks and drinks. The bright lights added a slightly surreal sensation, reflecting off anything they shined on.

"Sam?" Danny asked, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between them.

She inclined her head in his direction, yanking her eyes of one particular close couple.

"In the off chance my pants stay up, would you like to, you know, dance?" he asked her, shoving his hand through his hair. Sam smiled sweetly, taking the hand that was currently swimming in his hair in hers. Her other hand slid smoothly into his vacant one as they walked onto the dance floor. Many parted to make room for the new dancer partners. Every so often a glance would be thrown in their direction, followed by some quiet muttering. Danny's hand was just _itching _and to go running through his hair, he was so nervous.

Sam, however, was quite elated. After all, she had just turned fifteen and was dancing with the guy of her dreams. _If only we were dating, _she thought, while resting her head on his shoulder. Her eyes traveled up to the peaceful expression on his face. _I guess this is good enough. For now..._Her fingers crossed behind Danny's back as they circled around in time to the music.

As they did, a certain Latino watched on, her countenance a perfect blend of disbelief and fury.

_What happened? That loser is supposed to be in love with _me! She thought, quite beside herself. Not that she really wanted the geeky Danny Fenton. Her heart was reserved for the handsome Danny Phantom alone. But, she was not about to lose any members of her fan club. It just wasn't done. At least, not according to her. Now that Fenton seemed to actually falling for the Goth girl was going to make it a little difficult, but she welcomed the challenge. She just had to wait for the opportune moment.

And so it came after an hour had passed.

It was fair to say that Paulina was a little cross by the time Danny and Sam had finally parted company. She couldn't quite hear what he said to her, but was fairly certain he was headed to the bathroom. Paulina allowed herself a smirk before hightailing it in his direction.

Sam watched Danny make his way through the crowd with a smile of pure happiness on her face. Tonight was _definitely _one of the better nights of her life. It felt as if she were floating while she reminisced slow dancing with Danny. Daydreams of dancing forever with Danny filled her head while a pair of hands steadily reached out for her without her knowledge.

_Danny's hands were so warm..._

The hands were inching closer...

_He didn't even step on my feet..._

Two inches...One inch...

_His shoulder was really soft too..._

"Gah!" Sam shrieked, jumping back about a foot, causing those close by to stare. She spun around wildly, looking for the guilty party. "Tucker!" she exclaimed. It took all of her strength, physical and mental, to keep herself from clobbering him on the spot.

"Hey, Sam!" Tucker greeted his friend, beaming. "You and Danny having a good time?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Sam laughed, anger cast aside. Not even Tucker's antics could spoil her mood.

"As a matter of fact, we _are._" she informed him truthfully. Then she remembered her question.

"Hey Tucker? Did Danny ever mention what he was getting me for my birthday?" Sam asked, seemingly offhand, as Tucker brought a cup of punch to his lips for a second gulp. Well, it _would _have been.

Tucker spit the liquid back into its container, looking bug-eyed. "You mean he gave you your gift already?" he asked, filled with excitement, but it quickly dissipated when she shook her head, hair swaying back and forth.

"No, he didn't. He _almost _did, but we were interrupted." she admitted sourly. "What do _you _know about it, Foley?" Sam asked him, putting a deadly sweet edge in her voice, eyes narrowed.

"Well, uh, just that...Aw man, Sam!" he whined, shoving his hands in his pockets and avoiding eye contact. "Do you...do you promise to at least _act_ surprised when he asks you?" That was all she needed to hear.

Tucker was taken aback by the sudden lung crushing hug he was now receiving from Sam, of all people, followed by an uncharacteristic squeal. He blew away the strands of her hair that tickled his face. _It _is_ really nice to see her this happy, _he thought as he returned her hug_. And she deserves it too, considering how long she's been waiting_.

"So, where's lover boy now?" he asked, after she finally stopped thanking him.

"Noticed, huh? He said he was gonna take a break and use the bathroom or something." she filled him in. "Funny, I figured he'd be back by now."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to keep you company until he gets back." he spoke dramatically. Sam's eyes went rolling. "You make it sound like a chore."

He winked at her. "Well, for those of us who aren't as close to you as a certain ghost boy, it can be" he teased, stepping backward as she swatted him.

They talked a bit more, though it was more joking around than anything, and even engaged in a few of the faster dances. Still, Danny hadn't returned. Both of them were getting a little worried. "Maybe we should go after him?" Sam half suggested, half asked. Tucker shook his head. "Its your party! You can't leave or your parents might think you've skipped out on the last half." Sam scowled. She hated when he was right. "_I'll _go look for him, you stay here in case he comes back." Nodding, Sam concurred.

She watched as Tucker left in the same direction she had watched Danny leave some minutes earlier. Groaning inwardly, Sam watched as Dash made his way over to her right after Tucker left. _Must not want to be seen sucking up to a geek in front of other people. _

"Hey Manson. I mean Sam." Dash greeted, correcting himself. "Wanna dance?" he asked, holding out his hand with an arrogant expression. "No, Dash." she answered flatly, ignoring the outstretched hand. His arm fell limply to his side. He concentrated hard, wincing a little, as if it hurt. Gears turned in his head as a thought formed in his brain.

"What if I stop whaling on Fenton?" he offered, quite pleased with himself. By this time, she knew for sure it was more than a dance he was after. It was merely an attempt to get on her good side, so she might give away some of her money, just like Danny had predicted the day before. Rather than answering, Sam walked away, though it didn't stop his pestering.

She was just going to counter his last offer when a pair of arms spun her around roughly. "Hey Sam!" Tucker cried out. "Did you see the moon tonight? Talk about bright! Did you know that people used to think it was made of cheese?" Sam stared at him, afraid that he had finally lost it.

"Tucker, whats going on? Did you find Danny?" she asked, looking around quizzically. Then a huge crowd farther down came into view, with a mop of ebony in the middle. A second later, and all she saw was bright red. "Tucker, get your darn beret out of my face!" she ordered, her earlier gratitude forgotten.

"But Sam, you can't go down there!" Tucker burst out desperately. Sam raised her eyebrows. "And why not?" The worry she had felt before was starting to double. _What is going on? _

Her question was soon answered when the crowd shifted to reveal more than she bargained for. In the center was Danny, holding hands with Paulina, who just so happened to have a shining gold ring around one of her dainty fingers. Sam's vision started to blur, but not before she caught the look on Paulina's face. It was one of satisfaction and superiority. Like she had wonsome kind of prizeShe tried to read Danny's face, but couldn't see it. Her eyesight was to foggy from the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

"I-I've gotta go...somewhere..." Sam managed to croak out. She made a dash for the her room, people staring after her as she pushed through. Tucker watched her go with pity. He gazed back at Danny, who was trying to free himself from Paulina and follow Sam. When he saw Tucker, he cocked his head to the side a few times. A tired sigh escaped him.

Danny wanted him to go after her. Of course he was going to, but it wasn't going to be easy trying to convince her of what had really happened. _These two are_ _gonna owe me _big time _when this is over, _he thought as he padded up the stairs.

Slowly, Tucker approached Sam's room where quiet sobbing could be heard. He gulped. Picking up on feelings was one thing, but mending them? Knocking quietly, he called her name. "Sam?"

"What do you want, Tucker?" she asked thickly. It had been such a _long _time since she cried so hard. Salty tears crawled out of each corner of her eye, and burned their way down her face, curving into her chin, before dripping down steadily on the pillow she was crushing in her arms. So much for the make up.

"I want you to stop crying and come out here!" he tried to sound demanding, but desperation slid into his voice. _Dang! She's not gonna come out if she knows I'm desperate! _Tucker thought frantically.

"It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to!" Sam retaliated. _Great, now I sound like I'm from the sixties._

**Well, that's my first ever fanfic! And yea, the idea came to me when I was listening to the oldies station, and _It's My Party_ came on the radio, and I dunno...inspiration just struck I guess. That's really the only time I get around to writing, when an idea that I don't wanna lose hits me. And sorry about the length! When I start writing, I really throw myself into it, I guess. .'**

**Anyways, I'm like, spazzing out a little bit, so I figured I'd better post it soon. It _has_ been written for a while, but I wanted to make sure I had most, if not all, of the second part, completed. Plus my big sis came home for vacation, and I didn't want to miss that! **

**My little sister is...well, she's not editing it, but she's kinda going over the second part for me, so hopefully she'll finish soon, or I'll just put it up anyways, granted I get some reviews. And I promised her I'd dedicate it to her, being she's the first person to read it and all. So, this one's for you, Laura! So, I'll stop rambling now and let you get to the reviewing! XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**Second (and final) chapter's finally here! Sorry to all who've been waiting, but my laptop's hard drive failed, so I had to wait a while for that to get in, and thanks to the failure, I totally lost EVERYTHING on it. Wednesday was Rachels going away party, and I had to work on making her present a few days before hand, and I wasn't feeling to chipper after that, especially on Friday (thats the day she moved away). Plus I wasn't satisfied with the ending, and I'm still not sure if I like it or not, but itsalready fourin the morning, so I figured I might as well post it. A huge thanks to all those who reviewed, alerted, and anyone who took the time to read it:)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Kudos to Butch and Leslie.**

Danny stared into the mirror, sighing contentedly. His eyelids dropped down halfway, blue irises sparkling pleasantly beneath them. His mouth seemed to be forever stuck in the wide grin that had formed on his face and his feet were currently floating two inches from the ground. Dancing with Sam had been absolutely _wonderful. _The expression on her face while they were dancing flashed through his mind and he found himself two more inches off of the ground.

Danny's eyes had angled his eyes to gaze at her face as they danced numerous times. A look of pure, absolute bliss had settled in her features, and it sent his heart racing. He thanked his lucky star for whatever force allowed him to be the one to put it there. "I guess Tucker was right." he informed his reflection, which stared back at him giddily. The thought had his mind reeling.

He no longer needed to worry about rejection. She really _did _like him, as much as he liked her, if not more so. Four more inches in the air he went. The grin on his face widened, and he barely managed to calm himself enough to touch back down on to the tile floor.

"I've _got _to tell her, while my courage is still with me." The determined look on his reflection's face seemed supportive enough, but he needed some other reassurance. One hand dove into his hair, going through a now familiar path, while the second was shoved in his left pocket. The smooth surface of the ring brushed against Danny's fingers. He stared down at his pocket as they lifted the gift out of its hiding place.

The jewel glinted in the fluorescent lights, as did the golden band. Slowly, his fingers turned it over to reveal the lettering inside. _Sam..._

"Boy, I really am clueless." he scolded himself, his grin lessening a bit. He really wanted to kick himself for being so oblivious for so long. Glancing down at his digital watch, he checked the time and nearly phased through the floor. "Nine forty-five? Sam's been waiting forever!" Bolting for the door, Danny rushed out, colliding with someone who had been waiting outside the door, causing both to tumble over.

Danny sat back, massaging his head vigorously, before realizing the ring in his hand had slipped out in the collision . Frantically, he began crawling on his hands and knees in search, while apologizing. "I'm really sorry about that, I wasn't watching where I was going." He stopped when the frilly skirt of an incredibly expensive looking pink dress came into view, blocking the sight of anything in front of him.

He looked up to see his former crush smiling at him, a hand extended in a friendly gesture to help him up. "That's okay Danny! I shouldn't have been standing right outside the door anyways!" she said with a sugary sweet voice, batting her eyelashes. Danny blinked twice, and, ignoring her hand, went back to his search. "No, really, it was my fault."

Paulina rolled her eyes. _Fine, don't take my hand! _Had it been about four months or so earlier, he would have melted on the spot. _I guess he really _is _into that Gothic freak. _She moved off to the side as Danny continued along the floor, patting around every three inches or so. She looked down at the carpet, contemplating her next move, when a glimmer caught her eye.

Paulina bent down and reached for the object. It was a golden ring with a fair sized turquoise jewel in the center. Flipping it over she read the inscription and rolled her eyes once more. It was rather plain for her rich taste, but not completely terrible.

"Hey Danny?" Paulina called out, layering her voice with a combination of false curiosity and cheerfulness. "What are you looking for?"

"A gold ring. Its got a greenish jewel in it, and..." he answered, not wanting to mention the name on the inside. Not that he really cared that Paulina knew that he liked Sam. But, he'd rather Sam be the one to hear it from him first, not counting Tucker. _She's gonna be miffed when I get back there. _He didn't want to think about it. Hopefully she'd forgive him long enough for them to sneak out for a while.

"Are you planning on giving it to someone?" Paulina continued, grinning to herself. She was most amused when Danny stopped moving to look over at her, his blue eyes widening as they rested upon the ring in her hand.

Right on cue, he began blushing and running his hand through his hair. All perfect signs for one to misinterpret, had they not known better. Paulina used all of these to her advantage. She leaped up from her position and squealed excitedly, as if she had won something close to the lottery.

Danny was lost for words. What the heck was she so happy about? He seriously doubted Paulina would be excited that he had finally realized where his feelings lie. Silently he watched her, standing up slowly, not really sure how to ask for the ring back. It was like the amulet of Aragon all over again. Hand in his hair once more, he took a stab at it.

"Uh, Paulina? Are you okay? Because I kind of need the-" But she cut him off before he had the chance to say anything else with a tight hug.

"Of course! You got this ring, just for me, didn't you? Its so gorgeous!" Inside she was laughing. This was just too easy. She slipped it around her finger as he started to say something else, but she cut him off once more, this time with her lips on his.

Danny's eyes bugged out. What the heck was she doing! Everyone knew she was completely infatuated with Danny Phantom, yet here she was, locking lips with Danny Fenton because of an old ring. _A ring that just so happens to be meant for Sam!_ Danny thought, an uneasy chill going down his spine.

He stepped away hurriedly, trying to correct her mistake, but was completely thrown off when he saw Tucker standing in behind Paulina, eyes and mouth both open wide in disbelief. "Ummm... Just a sec!" Danny told her, and ran towards his friend.

He received a sharp slap upside the head when he reached him. Wincing in pain, Danny massaged the new sore spot on his head. "What was that for?" he exclaimed, taking a step back in case another hand came his way.

"What do you think your doing with Paulina?" Tucker asked angrily. "I thought you were finally going to hook up with Sam!" He wanted so badly to hit Danny again, but allowed him an explanation. Danny looked over his shoulder to see if Paulina was listening. When he was sure she wasn't, he lowered his voice and told Tucker what had conspired.

"I didn't know what to do, she just totally jumped on me because she thinks the ring is for her!" Danny explained, extremely agitated. "And I don't know how to tell her it isn't!"

"Well," Tucker tried reasoning with him, having calmed down. "How did you tell her she couldn't have that amulet?"

Danny's eyes moved to the floor and his hand would have went through his hair, had Tucker not stopped it. "Well?" he asked impatiently, his hand gripping Danny's wrist. Sam was waiting, and they needed to get that ring back pronto.

"I told her it was Sam's..." he mumbled, still looking at the floor. He and Sam both agreed it wasn't worth mentioning again, especially to Tucker. He sighed and shook his head, caught between amusement and frustration. "Of course." he muttered.

Paulina's patience was running thin. She had seen the techno geek slap Fenton's head and watched on as they conversed about something she figured had to do with the object she was toying with around her finger. Getting annoyed, not to mention bored, she walked up quietly to the boys who were still talking in quiet voices.

"Danny?" she asked, causing both to spring backwards against the wall. "Would you go back to the party with me? I want to show off the ring you gave me!" She said, squeezing his arm for added enthusiasm. After all, she needed to make this convincing.

Danny reluctantly kept his hand at his side, and tried to explain the situation, but to no avail. He simply couldn't get the words out. Not that he was back to liking Paulina or anything. She was just so...intimidating that evening. There was something ominous about her behavior tonight, but he tried to ignore it. _I need to get that ring! Focus on the ring! Think about Sam! _That helped him a great deal.

Courage mounting, Danny took a step backwards, and cleared his throat. "Paulina, I'd love to, but-" _But I'm in love with Sam! _His mind shouted as she dragged him hurriedly to the main room before he could say anymore. _Wait, _what_? Did I seriously just think that? _

A large group of people came up to greet the most popular girl in school, as she flaunted the ring that Danny 'had generously given her', while his brain demanded some immediate thinking time. The lights flashed around him, music blared, and the voices of the crowd only helped in breaking his concentration. _I need to leave. I need to find Sam and leave! _

An image of her intended ring came to mind and he had to suppress a groan. How was he supposed to get it back from Paulina, especially when she was making it her goal to show it to anyone who passed by? Suddenly an idea like lightning struck him.

If he could somehow make contact with her hand or arm, maybe he could make them intangible long enough for the ring escape her finger. He looked off into the distance and saw Tucker whip Sam around when she made to go over to him. Silently thanking Tucker, he reminded himself to get him the latest computer software next Christmas.

Casting his eyes downward, he hesitantly reached for Paulina's hand. She caught the movement, and smiling smugly, closed off the distance, four of her fingers wrapping around Danny's paler ones, thumb slipping into his palm. Danny cheered in his head for the small victory, but the job wasn't over yet. He still needed to get the ring.

Just as his hand was about to go intangible, a sudden movement farther up ahead stole away his attention. It was a _very _upset looking Sam. _Is she...Is she crying? _He thought, horrified. His first instinct was to go after her. Danny's hand tried to loosen in Paulina's grip, but she held on tighter. Not ready to give up, he tried a little harder, but he couldn't seem to break free from her grasp.

Just when he made up his mind to go after Sam, ring or not, he saw Tucker look over at him, and a chorus of angels sounded off in his head. Thinking fast, he made quick movements with his head in Sam's direction. The chorus increased in volume when he saw the red beret bobbing through the crowd and up the stairs. _Now, to get the ring back from Paulina..._

Sam refused to come out of her room no matter how many times Tucker asked. _So much for a happy birthday! I _knew_ this thing wasn't going to end well! She _was the one who was supposed to be downstairs slow dancing with him, not crying in her room while Paulina did! One warm tear dripped down the side of her face, followed by a second, and a third. They kept coming until she found herself crying once again. Tucker made another attempt to talk her out of her misery.

"Sam, if your not going to come out, can I at least come in?" he begged. He felt so useless standing out there, while she cried behind her door, and he was sure Danny felt at least ten times worse being stuck downstairs with Paulina. She sniffled in response. Taking this as a yes, he twisted the knob, and entered her room.

The sight of Sam spread across her bed with her face buried in her pillow greeted him. Darker circles were splattered across the crimson pillow case where her tears had fallen. Her perfectly managed hair was in disarray and the dress her mother had allowed her to wear wrinkled around her body, but she could have cared less. _Why should I care, when Danny's out there dancing with Paulina, his flawless _goddess

Tucker came around and sat beside her, unsure of what to do. _Do I tell her to calm down first, or should I just blurt out what happened? _But even if he explained, would she believe the truth? _Well, I have to try, _he thought determinedly.

"Sam? Can I tell you something?" he asked, making sure she was up for it. Lacking experience with emotional girls, he figured he'd better take it slow. Sam lifted her head slowly, revealing a tear stained face with slightly swollen eyes. She nodded, her lavender orbs glued to his face, waiting for him to speak.

"Well," he started, scratching his head in thought through his beret, "it's like this: Danny's not really with Paulina, he's-" But Sam interrupted, a raging fire burning in her eyes.

"Don't try to cover up for him Tucker! Its pretty obvious he hasn't gotten over his precious Paulina!" she spat out angrily. A sad bitterness slid in her angry tone, and it urged him to go on.

"No, seriously! Paulina cornered him on his way back, and kind of wouldn't let go of him." Tucker insisted, hoping against hope Danny had made progress in obtaining the ring.

Sam shook her head in disbelief. "Why doesn't he just tell her off then? Or am I am not even worth the effort?" she asked hotly, blinking back fresh tears. She tried to get up to leave, but Tucker held her down by placing a strong hand on her shoulder. She glared up at him, one tear fighting its way down her cheek.

_Believe me, he's _definitely_ putting in the effort, _Tucker thought pityingly. If only he could tell _her_ that. Then maybe Sam wouldn't be so hard on Danny, and herself.

"Sam, you know thats not true. Its just not Danny's style to tell someone off, especially a girl." Tucker reminded her. "Unless its Jazz." he added as an afterthought, hoping to bring about a smile.

He succeeded. A small smile tugged at her lips, growing in size until she was almost grinning. That much was true. "So, he's really having a horrible time with Paulina?" she asked softly, trying not to get her hopes up too high. Tucker nodded, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Oh my gosh." Sam moaned, head in her hands. "I'm such an _idiot_!" she exclaimed. She felt like such a fool for running out of her own party, crying like that. "Am I lame, or what?"

Tucker laughed, glad she was back to her old self. Seeing Sam cry like that...he suppressed a shudder. It was like watching his older sister cry. He helped her off the bed and pushed her into the bathroom so she could fix herself up for the second time that night. To make sure she wasn't going to pull some crazy stunt only Sam could, Tucker accompanied her, P.D.A. in hand.

Ten minutes later, Tucker poked his head out, and after making sure the party was still in full swing, opened it wider to allow both of them to step through. Sam gulped, slightly nervous. She wasn't one to care what people thought of her, but she had _never _cried in front of anyone before since she was seven years old, at the most.

_Well,_ _I'm human too. Its not like I'm not allowed to cry once in a while, _she thought trying to diminish her apprehension. And it worked rather well too. Some whispering followed as she walked through the crowded room with Tucker, but Sam refused to give in to her nerves. She just kept her eyes forward, searching for Danny.

"Okay, Sam. He should have left Paulina by now, so if you see her..." Tucker was in the middle of saying before an unwelcome sight came into view. "Aw, _man!" _Tucker murmured, looking over at Sam, hoping she would be able to keep it together. Her lilac eyes widened in shock, but they quickly took on a bored stare. To someone walking by, they would probably think the couple before them meant nothing to her.

Danny was dancing with Paulina, beaming as if he was having the time of his life. Returning his smile, Paulina continued dancing, satisfied that she had finally reached her goal. She was his main focus once more. Shifting her gaze to her left, she looked for an excuse to step away when she saw Sam, fully recovered, and staring at them as if she couldn't care less. _You can have him_, her expression seemed to say. Outraged, Paulina glanced over to her right, and nodded her head at Star who rushed over to the D.J.

The fast beat everyone had been enjoying slowed to a more relaxing song, and people moved closer to their respective partners. Paulina looked back at Sam, sure she would run out once more when she saw her hand being held in Danny's while his vacant one rested on her waist. Looking over at her, her superior expression changed to one of disbelief when Sam merely shrugged and walked away.

A cold chill slithered down her arm and she looked over at her hand. For a second, it felt like it wasn't there at all, butPaulina brushed the thought aside. _Now isn't the time! _If she was going to upset Sam more, she needed to think of something that would leave more of an impact.

Danny sighed in relief when the slow song started. It was the first one he had shared with Paulina since they had begun dancing, so he was finally able to make another attempt at retrieving the ring.

His heart nearly stopped when he saw Sam, but other than the first look in her eyes, she seemed fine. Maybe he had pretended to be enjoying himself a little _too _well. _Oh well. Once I get the ring back, I'm ditching Paulina as soon as I can to go find Sam! _A forbidding feeling had settled in his stomach when he saw her disappear into the crowd. He didn't like where this was going.

_Don't think about it! This is your chance to get the ring for her! _Breathing deep, Danny let the power flow from his hand and travel to Paulina's. For a split second, the ring hung in the air with no support what so ever. Then, as it began to descend, he allowed both hands to become solid, and was able to catch the piece of jewelry in small of his now sweating hand. He was so relieved and excited, he almost shouted in delight. _I've gotten the ring back!_

_Fine! If thats who he wants to be with, who am I to stop him? _Sam didn't let any emotion show through after she had gotten over her initial shock. She left shortly after, and warned Tucker not to follow her. She needed to be alone, or as alone anyone could be at a party of this size.

_Why do I feel like he cheated on me? Its not like we actually made it to girlfriend and boyfriend, _she thought, regret gnawing at her insides. Well, she knew what she was going to do. If Danny had the freedom to dance with whom ever he pleased, then she certainly had that same privilege.

Almost as if he had read her thoughts, Dash popped up to bother her for another dance request. "C'mon Sam! Fenton's not gonna dance with you now that he's with Paulina! So, will you dance with me _now_?" he pleaded. Rather than smacking him for the comment like her heart desired, she smiled sweetly and accepted. "Why, yes Dash, I'd _love _to."

The blonde did a double take. Did she really say yes? He shook the question from his head and smirked. _Who cares? No one can resist the Baxter charms!_ All that mattered was he was dancing with the amazingly rich hostess of the party. Eyes widened all around the room as the jock lead the Goth onto the dance floor. This party had certainly taken a interesting turn of events for the spectators.

The slow song Star had been ordered to request was still playing. Sam held back a grimace as Dash placed one his large hands on her shoulder, while the other held her much smaller hand. It hardly fit as well as it had when she was dancing with Danny, but she pushed the thought to the back of her head. _Don't dwell on those things!_

Subtly, she managed to steer their course ever closer to where Danny and Paulina were located. Sam kept her eyes on Danny, taking in several deep breaths to prepare herself for his reaction. She couldn't help but fret a little_. What if his eyes start glowing like they did before? _With that fearful thought in mind, Sam watched Danny like a hawk for signs that he had recognized her.

At first, he couldn't quite see her behind the larger frame of the football player. Vaguely, he recognized the skirt of Dash's dance partner, but he was quite sure it wasn't Sam. After all, why would she be dancing with him? Slowly they turned around, and Danny's eyes flashed as they attached to the back of her head. _What the heck does she think she's _doing, _dancing with that- that-that..._He stuttered even in thought. Was she planning something? Did she even know she was dancing with his tormentor?

Anger flooded his entire body, and he closed his eyes tightly, afraid they might start glowing bright green. Calming down slightly, he reopened them slowly, as the song started winding down. He looked over at his dance partner, still thankful she hadn't noticed the ring's absence. Her blue-green eyes were narrowed in fury, and she seemed to be fighting a scowl. Danny raised an eyebrow. _What's she so angry about?_

Paulina was absolutely furious. Sam Manson was actually trying to show _her _up by dancing with Dash Baxter! _Does she really think she can get away with this? _The thought echoed throughput her head several times before another entered her head. It had been her last resort, but if she must...

Paulina leaned in closer as the last note of the song hung in the air, and quickly pressed her lips to Danny's, keeping one eye open to see Sam's reaction. Surprised, Danny pulled away hastily. He wasn't about to go through this again if he could help it. Unfortunately, he wasn't hasty enough for Sam, who didn't see him pull away.

"Look, Paulina, I-" But his voice wouldn't work after that. For the second time in his life, he had to witness Sam Manson, his best friend, kiss Dash Baxter, the biggest bully in Casper High. Many emotions swept over him at once as he squeezed the ring in his hand so tightly, it made small impressions in his shaking palm. Fury, jealousy, heartbreak, and disbelief swam through him, filling every nook and cranny in his body. Danny closed his eyes, knowing they were radiating an intense yellow-green light.

Sam pulled back, surprised at her own impulsive actions. _Make him mad! Make him regret what he did! _Those two thoughts alone ran through her head when she saw Danny and Paulina connected at the lips.

Dash was right there, and it _had _worked once before, even if it was just a spell. But now, as she pulled away from Dash and everyone around her stared as if she had just willingly put on one of her mother's pink, floral dresses, Sam felt as if it had been a little _too _impulsive. Astonishment kept them frozen in place, which wasn't helping Danny at all, to see Sam remain in Dash's arms after kissing in front of everyone.

Unaware of everyone and everything around him, Danny broke free from Paulina at last and pushed through the horde of people in his rush to get over to them, blinded by rage. "Get your hands off of her!" he yelled, completely overtaken by his fury. Taking advantage of Dash's bafflement, he allowed a balled up fist swing out at his jaw. Sam watched his display of violence, still trying to let it all soak in. _Is Danny...Is he fighting_ Dash, _for _me?

Dash, taken entirely off guard, stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. His small mind still didn't understand as Danny continued to clobber him but, as it was his natural instinct, he fought back anyways. Danny dodged anything that was aimed at him, and went intangible in the few cases he couldn't. All he cared about was beating up the low life who thought they could get away with so much as touching Sam. _Foul, dirty, stinking, air-headed, stupid, pointless, little... _Insults crashed their way into his head, but none seemed to fit the crime Dash had committed in Danny's view.

Another shocking moment having sunk in, random shouts rang out through the huge room, but no one really tried to break up the brawl. No one except Sam, that is. Using all of her strength, she tore Danny off of Dash, who let his limbs collapse by his sides as soon as the threat had been removed. Danny stood, breathing heavily, sustaining not one bruise or scratch from the scuffle.

Having let go of his anger in a less than civilized manner, his senses crawled back to him. He was going to start apologizing, but Sam grabbed his arm and yanked him through the people (who parted automatically after seeing his dark side), before he could say a word. Receiving strange looks and stares from everyone they passed by simply added to Sam's anger. "Go back to dancing!" she shouted out angrily from the doorway. Frightening even the DJ, fast music started abruptly.

Slamming the door, Sam continued down the sidewalk with Danny in tow, who was trying hard not to trip over his own feet. "Sam, where are you taking me?" he asked her in a small voice after marching down two blocks with no signs of stopping. "Wasted all your energy on that fight, huh?" she asked with a tone that dared him to reply.

"Never mind." he mumbled to himself. _Maybe it would have been better to have just forgotten that ring after all..._

"Sit." Sam's command was obeyed without question. Danny sat himself on the curb at the end of the fifth block from the Manson residence. Pulling her skirt around her to prevent the creation of even more wrinkles, Sam sat herself beside him. She kept her eyes glued to a mailbox on the other side of the street, waiting for an explanation.

Danny gave it to her, but not without an apology first. "Look, Sam...About beating up Dash at your party...I'm really sorry." He hung his head shamefully and continued. "Its just, seeing you dancing with him...It really did a number on me." Removing her gaze from the mail box, she looked over at Danny, who looked up at her. His eyes held a guilty sorrow and deep regret, and his mouth formed a hopeless frown. Her own guilt welled up inside of her for playing a part in its creation.

"And then, seeing you kiss him, for the second time in my life, I just got so angry, I had to do something. I mean, he's not...uh, I'm not...your too...that is..." Unable to word what he was thinking, Danny groaned in frustration. Sam instantly softened from his explanation, incomplete or not. Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, she scooted herself along the edge of the walk to get a little closer to him. "What is it, Danny? What are you trying to say?" she prodded as gentle as her touch, and he visibly relaxed.

"I couldn't stand seeing you dance with him, but seeing you kiss him made me seriously lose it. I...I don't want any guy dancing with you, _or _kissingyou. It just doesn't...feel right." By this time, a wonderful blush rose to his cheeks, and Sam seemed to have caught it, for one graced her own as well.

"Well," she replied, bringing up some of her previous anger, a difficult task after hearing that, but she managed. "Seeing you holding hands with Paulina didn't make me feel so hot either. Not to mention the fact that you spent a good amount of time dancing with her, then kissed her, after I cried my eyes out upstairs in my room!" Her hand moved away like lightening from Danny's shoulder to cover her mouth, praying he didn't hear her confession. Sam wasn't sure if he had seen her tears or not, but did not want to admit out loud that she had been crying over him and Paulina.

Danny's head whipped around to study her. The action of hiding her mouth behind her hand let him know it was something she didn't want him to hear, but at that moment it didn't matter. "So...you really _were _crying?" he uttered, voice cracking along the way. "I thought you might have, but I didn't believe it. The last time I saw you cry was in first grade!" Guilt had long since stored itself in his heart ever since he saw Sam run out during the party, but it resurfaced greatly when hearing Sam had holed herself up in her room to cry over his ruse. _And it was my fault, _he berated himself mentally.

"Look, Danny...It's not that big a deal. So I cried? I'll cry if I want to, party or not." _Seriously, that is so sixties, _she thought again. She wanted to say more, but words didn't come out as easily as they had earlier. _Great Danny, your rubbing off on me! _She took a deep breath and cleared her head some before resuming her own explanation.

"During these past two days, and even before that, it just seemed like you were...as if I was, er, we could..." She sighed, unable to clear her head for this one. _Just say it! What have you got to lose, now? _Conceding with that point, she stopped stuttering. Danny waited nervously for her to finish. "It seemed that you actually..._liked me._" Her voice lowered several notches but Danny heard her. And hearing it with his own ears set him on such a natural high, he began floating at least a foot in the air with the happiest look on his face Sam had ever seen.

She looked up at him, confused, but pulled him down beside her, in case someone happened to be peering through their windows during the later hours. "Sorry about that," he said with a blush on his face and a hand in his hair. "I was eight or nine inches when I was in the bathroom."

Sam had to hide a smile. "Is that why you took so long?" She didn't mean to sound accusing, but it found a way in her playful tone. Danny heard it, and apologized again. "Sam, I am _so _sorry about that. I ran into Paulina, literally, when I got out, and she kept holding on to me, not to mention _kissed _me, and..." Danny wanted so badly to kick himself for letting that slip one out. Sam shut her hanging mouth and stiffly urged him to keep talking. Danny gave her a small smile.

"She kissed me, but only because...well, I guess now is as good as time as any." he said with a sigh. He heaved his body off the ground, pulling Sam up with him. Her eyes watched on as he fiddled with something in his pocket. Pulling out nothing she could see, save his fist, her eyes moved to his other hand, which wrapped itself around hers.

Danny's mind and heart were racing, but he plowed through the nervousness that was eating away at him. "Sam, do you remember that ring I asked you to keep for me?" He chuckled slightly when she nodded slowly, not believing where this was going. "Well, I, uh, I'd like for you to- here!" Nearly giving into the the anxiety that plagued his mind, Danny opened his fist to finger the ring a bit. He looked at her tentatively, and placed the ring in her hand, angling it so her name shined in the street light above their heads. _Deep breath, deep breath, _he mentally calmed himself.

"Well, what I mean to say, is that, if you want, you can, ya know..." Danny's sentence became more jumbled with every word until finally told her. "You can keep the ring, Sam, as yours, if its all right with you. Its got your name engraved and everything. 'Cause, the thing is, my feelings have...altered...a bit." He smiled meekly, begging her with his mind to allow him to stop.

Sam's eyes took on amazement when she felt the ring drop into her hand. Of course, she was well aware of what the surprise inside was, but couldn't help think it sweet of Danny to point it out to her. Her ears perked up when he continued talking, babbling once more before the mini miracle had taken place. She knew he desperately wanted to stop, but she wasn't going to let him rest until he actually admitted the reason out loud, for her to hear herself.

"Do I really have to say it?" Danny asked, suddenly, knocking her train of thoughts right off their track. "Do you really want me to accept?" she challenged, raising an eyebrow, holding back a smirk. Danny needed to smile at that. That was his Sam. _Almost there, just tell her already! _

"I-I-I love you Sam! I know its taken a really, really long time, and I know that I don't deserve you to like me back or anything after tonight, but I really, really, _really _wanted you to know that!" Danny's face was blushing so deep, it was nearly rose red. Sam's own blush was closer to cherries.

"Danny," she spoke up quietly, interrupting the silence that inserted itself in between them, setting both on the edge the longer it lasted. Danny, who had been chewing his thumbs nail with much enthusiasm while he waited for her response, looked up at her, attempting to sound composed.

"Yea?" he squeaked out when she pulled him closer, her own mind doing rounds. Her arms slipped around his torso as she hugged him tightly. Laughing lightly, she muttered in his ear, "Finally realized it, have you?" Blushing furiously, Danny tried to reply, but was cut off when Sam placed her lips on his in a soft kiss, which he returned, gratefully.

Despite the distance Sam put between themselves and her house, music from the party slowly made its way to their ears, as the noise level diminished with the hours becoming more fit for sleeping. Sam pulled away from Danny at the unexpected noise and checked her watch. Danny merely stood in confusion, wondering why the kiss he had been enjoying so much had been brought to such an abrupt end.

"Thats music from the party. Its almost eleven, so it should be ending soon." She glanced back at Danny, curious at the sudden silence. "Don't give me that look! We should be heading back anyways, in case my parents noticed we've left." She was going to start walking back when a hand reached out for hers. Startled, Sam turned to see Danny looking back at her, a happy smile playing across his features. "What?" she asked, her turn to be out of the loop.

"First of all, you never put on your ring." he stated simply, still smiling. Sam returned it, sly remark ready. "Well, are you going to just stand there, or do I have to put it on myself? Even though, as a girl, I'm perfectly capable of doing so myself." Danny, laughing, took the golden ring that had caused him so much trouble that night, and slid it smoothly around one of her delicate fingers. "Well, whadda'ya know, perfect fit! So, whats second?" Sam asked, still grinning, though addled as to what else he could have in store for her. Danny picked up on that right away, amusement rising.

"I was wondering if we could have one more dance before the party ended." He told her shyly, indicating to the music that was coming from the house. Both of their cheeks grew rosy, but it went unnoticed, for the most part. Their eyes were locked on each other and remained like that, even when Sam's head moved up and down in a silent yes. Eye contact was finally broken when Sam found herself pulled into Danny, his hands on her waist, while her arms snaked their way around his neck. "Last slow song for the evening." Danny muttered in her ear, not sure whether to be happy or sad at the statement.

_Let's go with happy, _he concluded, taking in every moment. Sam's dark hair shined wonderfully in the lighting as it fell across onto Danny's shoulder, where her head was resting as it had during their first dance. Not completely aware of he was doing, he let one hand move up from her waist to her head, wading in her silky strands of black hair. Sam almost moved away in surprise, but she felt so warm, dancing in Danny's arms, only a life or death scenario could get her to move.

She still couldn't believe how well the whole birthday party actually turned out, give or take a few misunderstandings. What mattered most to her was the fact that she was dancing in Danny's arms, outside and away from everyone, as something more than a friend. _Finally, finally, finally as his _girlfriend! Butterflies fluttered all around her insides, but she remained placid enough to continue dancing. In fact, she had composed herself so well, she didn't even notice that they had stopped moving a few minutes later.

"Sam, the song's over." Danny whispered in her ear, pulling her out of her reverie. She looked up at him with a pleasant smile. "Shall we head back then?" Easing out of his secure embrace, she walked a few steps ahead of him. Turning back, she held out her hand for him to hold, which he accepted with a grin.

Sam involuntarily shivered, the chill of the night eventually reaching her now that she was no longer in Danny's arms. Danny felt the slight tremor through her arm and peered curiously at her arms. Small goosebumps sprang up along them, visible only where the holes in her sleeves were. Letting go of her hand, he pulled off his navy jacket and placed it around her shoulders. "Geez, Sam. If you were cold, you should've said something." he chided her good-naturedly.

Sam turned away to hide her tinted cheeks from him as she slipped her arms into his jacket. "I wasn't cold 'til I left your arms..." she muttered, somewhat abashed. _I suppose I should consider myself lucky Tucker didn't hear that. _She knew he would have held it over her head for an eternity.

Danny couldn't see Sam's face, for she had directed her head to her right, but he was sure she was blushing. His own cheeks warmed up a bit from her words and a sudden urge to hold her in his arms again rushed through him, just like it had back in her room. He stretched out his right arm and slung it around her shoulders, pulling her in closer.

Startled, she looked up at him, one eyebrow cocked higher than the other. "Just in case that jacket isn't warm enough for you." he told her with a genuine, heart melting smile, which only deepened her blush. "Thanks." she said, her voice sounding almost breathless. Her eyes studied the sidewalk as they walked on, and she silently wished she had brought them farther from the house, so she could stay in his arms longer. _Though I might not have gotten that last dance if the music didn't reach all the way out here, _she reasoned with herself.

"So, how do you think everyone's doing back at the party?" Danny asked her, dreading what Dash would do to him when he returned. The football player must have realized what had happened by then, or at least had someone tell him. "I dunno, I haven't really thought about it." she responded, suddenly curious. _Do mom and dad even know about the fight Danny had with Dash? Do they even know we've left? _The more she ponderedher questions, the more she didn't want to return.

"Do you think Paulina's upset?" Sam inquired, not fond of theheavy silence as they each contemplated what would happen when they walked through the door. She didn't feel up to dealing with her overly dramatic peer.

Danny smiled at her sympathetically. He also had his fill of Paulina and her selfish antics for one night. His mind sifted through all of the awful things Sam had to go through during her own birthday party. _Crying alone in your room isn't something anyone should do on their birthday._That thought created a good deal of angeragainst Paulina, something he never thought possible. _How could she possiblybe happy about Sam crying? _

Danny stopped Sam from moving any further by pulling her into a tight hug. A little surprised, she returned the embrace. She had a nagging suspicion it had something to do with her revealing she had cried that night, but she didn't say anything. The only thing she wanted to do was enjoy the hug while it lasted.

"I think," Danny spoke up, "that it's her turn to do the crying." He lightly kissed the top of her head before letting go, hoping he wasn't blushing again. Sam gazed at him, her lips curving into a wry smile. "Danny, you know thats, like,a sixties song, right?"


End file.
